Unaffordable Rental Housing May Be ‘New Normal’ in the United States

Unaffordable Rental Housing May Be ‘New Normal’ in the United States
Young boys ride their bikes past boarded-up and abandoned row of houses in Baltimore, Md., on May 26, 2019. Stephanie Keith/Reuters
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A growing number of Americans cannot afford to pay their rent as rental property prices hit a record high, researchers said on Jan. 31, amid an outcry over rising evictions and homelessness.

The number of U.S. households living in rentals also surged to 43.7 million in 2018—up 21 percent from 2004—a study by Harvard University found, as a growing share of older, larger families can no longer afford to buy their own homes.